Blushing
by ArmedWithAPen
Summary: Who would have guessed the true reason Mandalorians wear their helmets...? Jango/Zam. One-shot.


_A/N: Inspired by the thought of why, exactly, Jango feels the need to wear his helmet so much. References the video game 'Star Wars: Bounty Hunter' in which the pair first met. _

DISCLAIMER: As I've said before, I do not own the following characters. I wish I did. But I do not.

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"Do you want to know something funny, Jango?"

The Mandalorian bounty hunter glanced up from his newspaper in mild surprise. Zam had remained conspicuously silent after she entered the room, supposedly lost in her own thoughts. The only sound to suggest she was even there was a soft crunch when she took a bite out of her apple.

"Tell me something funny, Zam." He might as well humor her, he mused, returning his eyes to the newspaper. If he pretended to listen, she might go back to being quiet.

"On that moon…all those years ago…"

He froze in the middle of reading an ad. She was going to bring that up? Why?

She was staring into space, half-eaten apple clutched in her right hand drooped absently over the arm of the couch. "That crazy Jedi…tortured you. You were half dead when I got there."

He remembered. He still had a few small scars on his chin just in case he ever forgot.

"And yet, you…I set you free and you just…you could have left me there," she whispered softly, eyes downcast. "You could have run. But you…you came to me, you said, 'Save your strength. Stay here.'" She glanced up at him. "'Back in a minute.' Like you weren't half-dead."

Her eyes were shining with what looked like sheer admiration, enough to make that now familiar strange fuzzy feeling flit through his chest. Enough to send an extra beat to his heart. Enough to make the skin below his collar begin to warm. Oh, gods, not another one of those infuriating…

Clearing his throat, Jango opened his mouth to ward off her words, but she beat him to it.

"And you _beat _her. Jango, you beat a Jedi! And then you…"

She was grinning from ear to ear, and she looked so beautiful it took all his self-control not to kiss her right there on the spot. The warming below his collar increased ten-fold. No. Must look cool, calm, collected…

"Then you just…you carried me. You carried me, even though you were bruised, beaten, almost dead…_you _carried _me."_

The blood began to creep up his neck, despite his violent protests. He tugged at his collar as coolly as he could. "You were shot, Zam, I couldn't just leave you there."

"Yes, you could have. You could have left me a million times over, Jango." She smiled wider, rose from the couch, and let the apple fall to the floor. "But you didn't."

He gulped. Something he hardly ever did except around a certain changeling. "W-Well, Zam, I-I…"

"Jango," she whispered, eyes darkening to an emerald green. "Do you want to know something else funny?"

His mind was helpless. He had lost, and she knew it. She could read it in his face. "Tell me what, Zam."

Gently, she leaned down over the arm of the couch, so close he could smell her wisteria scent, and touched her lips to a slightly simmering cheek.

She smiled against his skin. "You are simply inconceivably handsome when you blush."

Like the words were a trigger, the floodgates opened, and Jango's entire face turned as cherry red as a sunset. He hated it, yet loved it at the same time, loved the way she made him feel.

"I'm not blushing."

"Ah, my mistake." Forgoing the arm of the couch, Zam's hands drifted up to the sides of Jango's face, stroking the flaming cheeks like butterflies as she ran gentle kisses along the length of his cheekbone. "I forget the great Jango Fett does not blush."

"Of course not, Zam." Every inch of him was on fire. His heart pounded happily inside him as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, attempting to pull her closer. More blood flooded his face. Gods, he was blushing a blush to end all blushes.

"A friend of mine told me of the notoriously easy Mandalorian blushes." Her lips smiled against his red cheek, setting him on fire again. "I suppose you are the only one who omits this trait?"

"Mm-hmm." What was she saying? She kissed his earlobe, shooting fire through his fingers, and making his face flame even more.

"Shame."

Then, so suddenly it felt like someone had doused him in cold water, she jerked away.

Sputtering like an insane man, Jango flailed a few times on his couch, before leaping up just in time to watch the changeling sashay away from him.

She turned, throwing him a cheeky smile that had, 'Love me hard' written all over it. He trembled.

She said softly, "I only like a man who's not afraid to admit he's a little bit shy."

"Or aversive to flattery," he pointed out with a slight smile as he rose from the couch.

She grinned as he came towards her. When he reached her, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tucked her curves into his torso, and lowered his forehead to hers, whispering against his lips.

"I love you."

He blushed. Violently. Spectacularly. Incredibly. He didn't even try to fight. That someone as beautiful as her could love someone like him was…to say the least, the ultimate flattery.

She smiled at the reaction, and he grinned back sheepishly. Gone was the proud, cold, emotionless bounty hunter during a job. Here, in these moments, with her, it was just him, just his heart, standing there, melting, putty in her hands to do with as she pleased.

She kissed him then. Leaned up on her toes, touched his lips with hers, and took full possession of him.

"I love you," she murmured against his skin.

More blushing. He couldn't say he loved her back. Just a three-word 'I love you' wouldn't, couldn't, cover all he felt for her. So he blushed, and held her as close as he possibly could, held her so close she felt like she was one with him for a moment.

Sometimes he worried about them. He worried that if she ever fully discovered just how much he needed her, he'd scare her away. Oh, gods, if she left…that would tear him to pieces.

Plucking her up from the ground, he headed for the bedroom. Funny. He could survive close to everything from crazy Jedi to hardened criminals, but this girl…this girl held his soul in her hands.

She hadn't even stolen it.

He had given it to her.

"I love you so much, Jango."

He said nothing, but the color of his face spoke volumes. He locked the door behind him, fully intending to show her that when Mandalorians blush, they blush everywhere.

FIN.

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_A/N: Another naughty ending from me. :) My new mission: corrupt every innocent reader unlucky enough to stumble across my stories. Reviews will be devoured with ravenous delight. _


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